fulfilled the Commandements of God yet wantest thou one thing for that work which must merit must be Opus indebitum Now obedience to every branch of Gods law is a debt which we are owing to God by the law of creation and God may say to every one of us as Paul said to Philemon Thou owest to mee even thine owne selfe Doth a Master thank that servant which did that which he was commanded to do I trow not so likewise When yee have done all things which were commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have but done that which was our duty to do Inutilis servus vocatur saith Austin qui omnia fecit quia nihil fecit ultra id quod debuit And Theophylact upon that place The servant if he work not is worthy of many stripes and when he has wrought let him be contented with this that he hath escaped stripes 3. That work by which thou must merit must be thine own but thy good works if thou look to the first cause are not so Quid habes quod non accipisti 1 Cor. 4. It s God that worketh both the will and the deed Phil. 2. 13. Not I but the grace of God in me 1 Cor. 13. So then put case thou couldst fulfill the law and it were not a payment of debt yet is no merit due to thee but to him whose they are Dei dona sunt quaecunque bona sunt Every good and perfect gift comes from above even from the father of lights And Deus sua dona non nostra merita coronat 4. Admit it were in thy power to fulfill the law that it were no debt that thy works were wholly thine and God had no part in them this is not enough there must be some proportion between the work and the reward or no proper merit Now between thy best works and the Kingdome of heaven promised to Christs little flock there is not that proportion that is Inter stillam muriae mare Aegeum as Tullie speaks between the light of a candle and the light of the Sunne between the least grane of sand that lies on the Sea-shore and the highest heaven as shall presently appear 5. Last of all that thy work may merit at Gods hands some profit or honour must thereby accrue to him But my goodnesse saith David O Lord reacheth not unto thee but to the saints that are on the earth If thou be righteous saith Elihu what givest thou to God or what receiveth he at thine hand Job 35. Who hath given unto him first Rom. 11. 35. All these five things are requisite for the merit of works but not onely some but all of them are wanting to our best works and therefore we must with the Scriptures ascribe our whole salvation to the grace of God and acknowledge nothing inherent in us to be the prime cause of all his graces but his owne good will and pleasure I count the afflictions of this world not worthy the glory that shall be revealed Rom. 8. And in another place he tells us That wee deserve hell for our evill workes The wages of sinne is death but not heaven for our good deeds and sufferings but of Gods bounty and mercie Eternall life is the gift of God Rom. 6. Not by the works of righteousnesse which wee had done but according to his mercie he saved us Tit. 3. And ye are saved by grace through faith not of your selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. And how doth he prove that Abraham was justified by faith and not by works because Ei qui operatur merces non imputatur secundū gratiam sed secundum debitum And if Abraham had been justified by works he had wherein to rejoyce but not with God Rom. 3. These are places of Scripture and let me build upon this occasion to produce an assertion which once I brought upon another point which some that I see here present were pleased to except against as savouring of blasphemy though the words excepted against were none of mine but of Justin Martyr who lived above 1400. years agoe and confidently brought by him in his discourse with Tryphon a Jew if any I will not say Pelagian or Arminian or Papist but if all the Fathers of the Primitive Church if all the ancient Councels if Moses and all the Prophets if Paul and all the Apostles if an Angel from heaven nay if God himself these are the words of Justin the Martyr should deliver any doctrine repugnant to that which is contained in this booke I would not believe him Agreeable unto these places of Scripture was the doctrine of the ancient Church Gratia evacuatur si non gratis donatur sed meritis redditur Aug. Epist 105. Non dei gratia erit ullo modo nisi gratuita fuerit omni modo And in a third place Non pro merito quidem accipimus vitam aeternam sed tantum pro gratia Tract 3. in Ioh. And thus have I confirmed my proposition by reason by Scriptures and by the testimonie of the Church and Contra rationem nemo sobrius contra ecclesiam nemo pacificus contra scripturas nemo Christianus senserit as a Father saith Unto all these might be added if it were needfull the confession of the learnedst of our Adversaries let our Enemies be Judges who cry down this blasphemous doctrine of Merit God saith one of them doth punish Citra condignum but rewards Vltra condignum and Scotus as Bellar confesseth holds that Bona opera ex gratia procedentia non sunt meritoria ex condigno sed tantum ratione pacti acceptationis divinae And of the same opinion saith he were other of the old Schoolmen and of the new Writers Andreas Vega. Ferus as in many other points between us the Pontificians so in this he is as sound a Catholique and as good a Protestant as Calvin himselfe or any that hath written on this subject in Math. cap. 20. vers 8. Gratis promisit gratis reddit si dei gratiam favorē conservare vis nulla meritorum tnorum mentionem facito And in Acts 15. Qui docet in operibus confidere is negat Christi meritum sufficere Both which places many others of the same Author their Index Expurgatorius hath wiped out using him the ancient fathers as Tereus dealt with Progne who cut out her tongue lest she shold tel the truth Yea and Bellarmine himselfe after he hath spent seventeen leaves in defence of merit of works and scrapt and catcht and drawn in by the shoulders whatsoever he could out of the Scriptures or ancine Fathers for colouring that Tenent at length brings this Orthodoxall conclusion with which I will conclude this point Very Orthodoxall indeed if two letters be transposed Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae let it be Propter certitudinem propriae injustitiae propter periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate
utimur monachi judicamur quia ebrij non sumus nec cachinno ora dissolvimus contumaces vocamur tristes si tunica non candueriâ— stâ—tim illud e trivio impostor est Graecus saith Hierom. If a Minister be liberall he is called riotous if frugall covetous if merry dissolute if grave austere if silent melancholy if he stand upon his reputation proud and arrogant Woe unto them that call good evill In the Primitive Church when the comparison between Gentilisme and Christianity did much resemble Cleanthes his picture in Tullie where Voluptuousnesse was painted in a chaire of State and Vertue kneeling at her feet there was not a more odious name saith Tertullian then to be called a Christian Bonus vir Cujus Seius sed malus tantum quod Christianus So it is with some they were good men but they are but Ministers they are but Priests Hos populus ridet multumque torosa juventus the name is odious to some they cannot away with it But if his person cannot be excepted against his doctrine for matter or manner shall Faelices essent artes inquit Fabius they be Hieroms words Si de illis soli artifices judicarent poëtam non potest nosse nisi qui versum potest stuere Philosophos non intelligit nisi qui scit dog matum varietates c. Nostra autem quam sit dura conditio hinc potes anima dvertere quod vulgi sit standum judicio Happy were the Arts saith Quintilian if only Artificeâ—s should judge of them None judgeth of a Poet but he that can make a Verse None gives censure of Philosophers but he that is acquainted with their opinions A Shoo-maker meddles with a shooe but not with the Stocking a Taylor with a garment and goes no further but for a Preacher men of all Trades will censure him and none so much as they that understand least If with Nathan he tell David that he is the man If with Elijah he tells Ahab that it is hee and his fathers house that troubles Israel If with John Baptist he tell Herod that it is not lawful for him to have his Brothers Wife Hic nigrae succus loliginis haec est aerugo Now these be hard sayings who can heare them And if they cannot reprehend the matter of his speech the manner thereof will afford some matter enough to speak of If Paul speake of his Mysteries and Revelations before Festus he is beside himselfe much learning makes him mad And if this Doctor of the Gentiles applying himselfe to the rude capacity of the ignorant Corinthians for he becomes all things to all men that by all meanes he might win ne some use a more familiar phrase and feed them with milke because they cannot digest strong meate he is presently by some seducer in that Church censured to be a plain silly fellow his bodily presence is weake and his speech is of no valew Thus he is rewarded Evill for good and hatred for his good will and thus are Gods builders in many places constrayned to build with one hand and to hold their weapons against their enemies in the other as did those builders of Jerusalem against Sanballat and Tobiah and other Enemies of Judah and Benjamine Neh. 4. 17. Dextra tenet pennam strictum tenet altera ferrum May they not in this case take up Davids complaint I verily lie among the children of men which are set on fire They have venenum ptyados the poyson of a spitting Aspe under their lips their teeth are spears and arrows and their tongues a sharp sword But beloved I have perswaded my selfe better things of you and such as accompany salvation though I thus speake Only for conclusion of this Use let me intreat you with the Author of the Epistle to the Hebr. See that yee despise not him that speaketh I meane Ministeriall speakers If ye doe ye despise him that speaketh from heaven Whose blood speaketh better things then that of Abel But receive such as the Galatians received Paul who received him as an Angel of God and would have pulled out their owne eyes to have given unto him and have them in a singular love even for their works sake But above all things tread not under foot the bread of life because of the unworthinesse of any that reacheth it Refuse not the water of life because of the uncleannesse of any Conduit-pipe that conveyeth it Reject not the promise of life because of the lewdnesse of any Embassador that bringeth it Forsake not the way of life because of the blackishnesse of any that sheweth it Contemn not the word of life because of the imperfections of any that preacheth it For assuredly as the rain cometh down from Heaven and ascendeth not thither againe but accomplisheth that for which it is sent so shall the Word of God be by whomsoever it shall be delivered it will either harden you if yee be as clay or it will soften you if yee be as waxe it will either work upwards or down-wards it will either prove the savour of life unto salvation or of death unto damnation Oh then so provide your eares to heare that ye may say with young Samuel Speake Lord for thy servant heareth and hearing it pray that your hearts may be unlocked to receive it and receiving it believe it and believing it practise it in your lives and conversations that ye may be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God Having now dispatched my message to Hearers let mee crave leave that I may turne my speech to the Preachers of the Word May a man be a Prophet and deliver true and sound Doctrine for the benefit of others and for all be an unregenerate man a damned Reprobate himselfe Then let me exhort you all my deare Brethren or rather with Austine Hortor vos omnes charissimi meque ipsum hortor vobiscum I exhort you and my selfe together with you as we desire to escape everlasting damnation and to have our part with Christ in his glorious Kingdome let us as the Apostle exhorts take heed not only to Doctrine but to our selves first not only to our preaching that it be sound but to our lives also that they be unblameable let us not only be vigilant that the Bell strike right above but that the wheels of the Clock go right below let us not only so speake but so do as they that shall be judged by the Law of liberty least after we have preached to others and been a meanes of their Salvation ipsi reprobi fiamus we our selves be tumbled into Hell as the Builders of the Arke were meanes of saving Noah and his Family and for all that were drowned themselves we may not expect it is not expedient we should for any to gaine a good report of all men Dogs will be barking at the best was he a good man of
means ordinarly conveyed to the Sons of men then by the preaching of the Gospell this is agreeable to the Apostles Doctrine Seeing the World by wisdome knew not God in the wisdome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching So the World of Jews and Gentiles counted it to save them that beleive 1 Cor. 1. How shall they call on him of whom they have not heard how shall they heare without a Preacher Rom. 10. Where Salvation Faith Hearing Preaching are linked together Christ sent me not to baptize but to preach the Gospell 1 Cor. 1. 7. his Commission was for both Go and teach all Nations baptizing them Matth. 28. His meaning then was this that the latter was the principall the other but an appendix unto it Like that Jer. 7. 22. I spake not unto your Fathers when I brought them out of the Land of Aegypt concerning Sacrifice but this is the thing which I commanded them to obey my voice and Hos 6. 6. I will have mercy and not sacrifice obedience and mercy rather then sacrifice or burnt offering So it may be said of us we are by our places to baptize to administer the Sacraments but our chiefe Office is to preach For a Minister then to have the name of an honest man a learned man and seldome or never to come into the Pulpit as some do is as if I should say this man is an excellent Scrivener but never puts Pen to paper an excellent Lawyer but never pleads nor gives counsell an excellent Artificer but neglects his Trade this but takes more from him then my commendation gives him Here I cannot chuse but censure two sorts of men Fist they that cannot Secondly those that can but will not preach Of the first we have not many in these parts of this Diocesse in which Gods name be blessed I dare boldly speak it we have at this present day more Baruabasses Sons of consolation and Beâ—nerges Sons of thunder â—nd Apollos Eloquent men and mighty in the Scriptures then any one Century of years hath seen since the Gospel of Christ was first preached in this Island yet some few we have the fewer the better Satis pauci satis unus satis nullus in speaking to whom let me take leave as the Apostle speaks to the Gallatians to change my voice as Nurses do when they speak to young Children thou canst not preach Yea but as I have heard a Judge speak to a convinced Malefactor whose life he was desirous to save I cannot read yea but I know thou canst and must read or else I must pronounce Sentence against thee Yea but thou canst preach and preach thou must or else I must say unto thee friend how camest thou in hither I add no more thou wantest Logick and knowledge in the Arts which are hand-maids to Divinity and many other helps which are requisite to a Preacher yet mayest thou teach As an over-weening conceit of a mans abilities so too base an opinion of thy self may be an hindrance to vertue Many had proved great men if they had not thought themselves on the Hils-top before they were at the middest of the way and some of our not-preaching Ministers might prove better then they are if the weakness of their braines did not hinder them from climbing because they despaire of being excellent Preachers therefore they will do no good at all in their Profession they seldome look upon Book but when they are in the Church possunt qui posse videntur A mans conceit that he can do will make him somewhat adventure When John Bradford was unwilling to enter into the Ministry alledging his weakness and inabilities for preaching if thou canst not quoth Martin Bncer feed thy Flock with fine Manchet feed them with brown Bread Non possumus omnes esse Scipiones aut Maximi saith the Orator if thou canst not do as thou wouldst do as thou mayest if thou wantest strong Meat feed with Milk catechise and instruct thy hearers in the ground of Religion pray heare read study confer meditate stir up the Gift of God which is thee kindle and blow up this fire desire the best Gifts 1 Cor. 12. and in so doing God giving a blessing to thine endeavours Si non evaseris in summum at certe multos infra te videbis as Quintilian speaks if thou prove not the best thou shalt not be the worst of thy profession If thy learning be so slender that thou canst not well understand a Latine Author be not discouraged for that We have many excellent Books of morall Divinity in our English Tongue and of controversial writers we have no want furnish thy selfe not with all but with the best Distrahit animum librorum multitudo saith Seneca and qui ubique est nusquam est Read then rather multum then multos much then many books so shalt thou make it thine owne which thou hast read and be able to make use of it for the discharge of thy duty and benefit of the Flock committed to thy charge And if thy learning and judgment be so weak as that thou canst not so skilfully extract the quintessence out of the flower with the Bee then rather give it them in thy Authors words then not at all I confesse I could never approve of those lapwings which having hopped out of their nests with their shels on their heads before they got a feather on their backs Priusquam sacra volumina vel nomine noverint priusquam veteris novi testamenti signa not asque cognoverint as Nazianzen speaks having provided themselves of halfe a dozen Sermons which they have as good right too as Paulus in Martiall had to his Verses Carmina Paulus emit jactat sua Carmina Paulus Nam quod emit poterit dicere jure suum Like jollie fellows make a flourish up and down the Country with them as if they were men of worth I have no more to say to them but onely send them that salutation which Horace sent Celsus Quid mihi Celsus agit monitusque saepe monendus Privatas ut quaerat opes spernere discat Scripta palatinus quaecunque retexit Apollo Otherwise for all their shews the riddle may well be applyed to them Nullus malus magnus piscis But now for such as have Cures where the Stipend is so small that it will not maintain a tollerable Preacher as in some of our large and spacious Parishes there is scarce so much left as the Pharisees petty tiths tithe of Mint and Anise and Cummin little more then would give contentment to a Swine-he ard if these not out of any vain-glorious humour of being reputed that they are not but out of a desire to benefit their Flocks besides the instructions given them by way of catechising they shal commit to memory and deliver other mens labours in St. Austines judgement they are not to be disallowed Nor will I for beside that it will keep them from idleness
did impose this law upon himselfe telling the Pharisees that his Doctrine was not his owne but the Fathers that had sent him Now then if the Priests of the Law if the Prophets if the Apostles if Christ Jesus himselfe did not preach any Doctrine but what they received from God if they were tyed to the word and might not decline to the right hand nor to the left Much more are the Lords Ministers at this day tied not to deliver any Doctrine to their Hearers but what is evidently grounded upon the sacred Oracles of Truth They are to build the Kingdom of Christ to subvert the kingdome of Antichrist to feed the Lords Sheep to drive away the Wolves to comfort the weake and feeble knees to break the brazen and iron sinews of impenitent sinners to sing a song of mercie to penitent and humble soules to thunder judgments to forlorn miscreants To binde and to loose to plucke up and to roote out to destroy and to cast downe to build and to plant but all by the word of God The writings of Heathen men contain in them many excellent precepts of Morality but they are mingled with a number of untruths and vanities The writings of the ancient Fathers are of especiall use in the Church of God but they are not sufficient groun is for me to build my Faith upon them I may no more in all things follow their steps then I may be drunk with Noah or commit incest with Lot or be an Adulterer with David or an Idolater with Solomon or with Peter deny and forswear Christ I say of them all in respect of the Scriptures as Stankarus a Polonian Heretick spake of our Protestant Writers in respect of Peter Lombard Plus valet Petrus Lombardus quam Centum Lutheri c. One Peter Lombard is of more worth then 100. Luthers 200. Melanctons 300. Bullingers 400. Peter Martyrs and 500. Calvins But one plaine sentence of Scripture is more worth then 100. Austins 200. Cyprians 300. Jeremies 400. Ambroses 500. Gregories where their Doctrines are not warrantable by the word of God I say of them as Aristotle did of Socrates and Plato Socrates is my Friend and Plato my Friend but Truth is my greatest Friend And as Austin said of his Country-man Cyprian Cypriani literas non ut Canonicas lego sed ex Canonicis considero quod in ijs divinarum Scripturarum autoritati convenit cum laude ejus accipio quod non convenit cum pace ejus respuo I read Cyprian not as canonical Scripture but I examine his Writings by the canonicall and where I find them agreeing with his due commendations I receive them when repugnant with his good leave I will reject them To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because they have no light in them Isa 8. 20. Quest Is it then unlawfull for a Minister to use humanity or secular learning in his Sermon Ans I have known many who have said that a Sermon is too barren and dry and not so learned nor so pleasant nor so powerfull nor so profitable if it consist meerly of testimonies from Scripture without some inspersions at the least of secular learning as if that were dry which is like the Raine that comes down from heaven and waters the earth that it may yeeld seed to him that soweth and bread to him that eateth or any thing were more learned then that which will make a man wise unto salvation or any thing more pleasant then that which is sweeter then honie or the honie-comb or any thing more powerfull then that which is lively And mighty in operation and sharper then any two-edged sword and entereth through even to the dividing of the soule and the spirit and of the joynts and the marrow or any thing more profitable then that which is given by inspiration from God and is profitable to Teach to reprove to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect unto all good works Again on the other side I know many both Preachers and Hearers who distast as much a sentence borrowed from a prophane Writer as the children of the Prophets did of that branch of Coloquintida that was cast into the pot mors in olla One sentence in their conceit spoils a whole Sermon the thing otherwise never so good These men are verily perswaded that Hieroms dreame was in good earnest that he was wrapt into the third Heaven and miserably beaten before the Tribunall seate of God for reading of Tullie which although he writing to a certain Lady who was too much addicted to reading of secular Authors he relates as a story Yet when the same was objected against him by Ruffinus and without question Lactantius and Tertullian and Austin and some others of the Fathers deserved to lick of the whip for this as well as Hierome who were so throughly acquainted with all secular Writers that as he himselfe speaks of some of them a man cannot tell whether he shall more admire them for their secular learning or their knowledg in the Scriptures insomuch that as Julian complained of some of them De aquila pennas evellerent quibus aquilam configerent They pulled quills out of the Eagles wings the Roman Ensign wherewith they wounded and killed the Eagle My resolution then is this As I cannot approve of the former sort so can I not altogether of the latter my reasons are these 1. No Sermon is purum putum dei verbum meer Logick and Rhetorick and humane invention are used in the best and therefore if I shall sometimes borrow a sentence from a secular Writer be it Goats-hair or hay or stubble or call it what you will peradventure it may prove as good as any thing I can bring of mine owne 2. I take it to be a property of a foolish Captaine to scorn to use any stratagem which his Enemie hath used before It 's lawfull for the Hebrews to spoile the Aegyptians so that it be not to make a golden Calfe of the spoile 3. St. Paul himself sometimes brings sentences out of secular Writers as Tit. 1. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heroicall verse out of Epimenides So Acts 17. We are his generation part of an heroicall verse out of Aratus and 1 Cor. 15. Evill words corrupt good manners a comicall verse out of Menander 4. There is but one truth and Omne verum est a Spiritu Sancto saith Ambrose so that if thou shalt alleadg that it is unlawfull to use it because it dropt from the tongue or penn of a Pagan I will reply that if it be true it is lawfull because it is originally from God but here these cautions are to be observed 1. It must not be a Doctrine but only an Illustration or amplification of a Doctrine 2. It must be sparingly used in popular Congregations 3. As an Israelite when he
am vox clamantis a Cryer or Summoner sent unto you from the great God of Heaven Earth who with a mighty hand and out-stretched Arme brought your Fore-Fathers out of the Land of Aegypt and gave them this fruitfull Land which you now possesse who being almighty is able to defend you if you shall cleave unto him and to punish you if you shall neglect his word whose name is JEHOVAH I am yesterday and to day and the same for ever which was and which is and which is to come without change or shadow of change that which I have received from him I deliver unto you Thus saith the Lord Execute Judgement and Righteousnesse As then Judges in their Circuite in the severall Counties where they sit to heare and determine Causes first cause their Commission to be read then give the charge to the Inquest So our Prophet first shewes his Commission Thus saith the Lord and then gives his Charge Execute Judgment And these be the two Branches into which my Text divideth it selfe In the Commission I note that a Prophet and consequently a Minister who in the new Testament is also called a Prophet is an Embassadour sent from God unto the Sonnes of men So saith the Apostle Wee are Embassadours from Christ as though God did beseech you through us we pray you in Christs stead that yee be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 20. Let a man so think of us as of the Ministers of Christ and disposes of the secrets of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. This shewes the Dignity of this Calling a Calling whether you respect the Author or the Subject or the end as far exceeding all others as Saul in length of body did the rest of the Israelites And surely if the Philosopher could call the Stones happy of which the Altar was builded because they were had in honour when others were troden under feet then much more may they be termed happy whom the Lord hath separated from their Brethren and taken neer unto himselfe to minister unto him if they shall be found faithfull and diligent in so high a calling But here I may justly take up the Prophets Complaint Who will beleive our report If I should dilate on this Subject my words would seem to many as Lots did to his Sonnes in Law when he spoke of the destruction of Sodome who seemed to speake as if he had mocked I appeale to your consciences whether the Vocation of a Priest so the prophane Gulls of this World call it in disgrace be not by many reputed the most base and contemptible Calling in the Land that which the Apostle speakes of our generall calling to Christianity is at this day verified of this particular Vocation not many mighty not many noble are called 1 Cor. 1. The poor and the halt and the lame and such as are good for nothing else are thought sufficient for these things though the Apostle could ask 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who is sufficient do not many with the foolish woers in the Poet Penelopâ—n relinquere ad ancillas confugere leave the Mistresse and become Suiters to her Maids and chuse rather to be of any calling nay of no calling to be idle Hunters riotous Gamesters loose livers to be any thing rather then to be imployed in this great and weighty businesse of being an Embassadour from God unto the Sonnes of men But it s no matter Philosophy suffers no great disgrace because Agrippina will not have her Son young Nero to study it and a Pearle is not a straw the worse because Esops Cock cares not for it Rauca reful gentem contemnit noctua Phoebum Non crimen Phoebus noctua crimen habet The Owle cannot abide the Sun the fault is not in the Sunne but in the Owles eyes that cannot behold it The very Heathen shall in the day of judgement arise against these men and condemn them amongst whom this Calling hath alwayes been honoured for the best Amongst the Phoenicians they wore a crowne of gold Amongst the Athenians none were admitted King that had not been of this Order It was not scorned by the best Senatour of Rome insomuch that Gellius having set down four properties of Crassus which he calls Rerum humanarum maxima praecipua the greatest things amongst the sons of men Quod esset ditissimus quod nobilissimus quod eloquentissimus quod jurisconsultissimus that he was the richest and the noblest and the most eloquent and the best Lawyer that Rome had He adds in the last place as it were a specificall forme restraining all the rest Quod pontifex maximus that he was the chiefe Bishop and Virgil had no intendment to disgrace Amus when he called him a King and a Priest Rex Amus rex idem hominum Phoebique sacerdos And the custome of the old Aegyptians is well enough known unto Schollers Qui ex philosophis sacerdotes and Ex sacerdotibus probatissimum in regem elegerunt who from Philosophers chose Priests and from Priests Kings whereupon their Hermes had the name of Trismegistus thrice greatest the greatest Philosopher the greatest Priest and the greatest King Such an one was Moses the Prince and chiefe of all the Prophets who did not preach to Pharaoh and the Israelites till first instructed by the Lord what he should say Such were the Priests of the Law or at least such they should have been and therefore the Lord saith That the Priests lips should preserve knowledge and That they should seeke the law at his mouth The reason is added because he is the Angel or Embassadour of the Lord of Hosts Such was Ezekiel whom the Lord tells that he had made a watch-man over the house of Israel and that hee should heare the word at his mouth and give the people warning from him Such was Jeremiah who prophesied not to the Jewes till the Lord had touched his tongue and put words into his mouth Finally such were all the Prophets before the coming of the Messias who had this law giuen them that they should teach no more then he had given them in charge Hence be these and the like speeches Thus saith the Lord. The word of the Lord. The burden of the Lord. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Come to the New Testament and look upon the Apostles and Evangelists surely very excellent things were spoken of them they were called the salt of the Earth the light of the World the friends of Christ they had the keyes of Heaven gates given unto them That whatsoever they bound on earth should be bound in heaven and whatsoever they loosed on earth should be loosed in heaven They were sent to preach to all Nations but not what they would but what they had in commission from Christ Teach to observe all things which I have commanded Mat. 28. 20. Nay Christ Jesus the Son of God the Privy Counsellor of the Father the only Master and Teacher of his Church